The whole thing is a joke. What do you expect when no criteria was given and no minimum qualification mentioned. I think only two states deemed it fit to put a token female and some did not even follow the senatorial zone criteria. It's the typical approach of our Governors to issues. Everything is politicised and given a political tinge. When politics is mixed up with administration it inherently takes over, and we all know our politics sometimes doesnt make sense. Only katsina , kano and kaduna did a selection on an unbiased basis and put their best people forward irrespective of political affiliation.
I can assure you that if a set of criterion was put together that included minimum education standards and the like we would be the first ones to shout foul in arewa.
I beg to disagree! It all boils down to mischief. When did OBJ suddenly realise that his governors can be trusted to come up with credible representation to his dialogue, the same people he castigates at every opportunity, calling them "irresponsible", party freaks and looters.
Come to think of it why do we need a bunch of handpicked people to go and decide our future. They are allready talking about coming up with a constitution, How??? Where are our elected senators and representatives?? In fact the only criteria i heard is that there should be no nomination of any elected office holder, Why?? Why the sudden aversion to democratic ideals?? Its just a sham and a complete waste of time. Predictably the dialogers are already up in arms against the national assembly, echoing Governor makarfi and saying they have failed in their responsibility so they were called upon( read- "selected") to come and do the job.
This is the same assembly that is expectedly going to endorse the recomendations( they can only recomend) of the dialogers and pass laws where required, or begin the process of constitutional reform as the case may be. How are they going to look favourably at any issue raised by a conference whose members are busy castigating and questioning their usefullness on a daily basis, no matter how meritorious, or is baba going to push his reforms thru at gunpoint, or use Ghana must go?
They refused to aproppriate money for the dialogue and have clarified that it would be illegal to use 2005 budgetted funds for it, yet it has taken off. How is it being funded, from Obasanjo farms, or NNPC as one paper reported. Nobody cares to ask, anything goes in this crazy country.
Mark my words, 3 months (or 9 months if they get their extension request) and 1 billion Naira later, gullible Nigerians will wake up to the realisation that they have been taken for another ride.
